What Will Bill Clinton Do If Hillary Wins? An Answer

If elected, Hillary Clinton will potentially face more scrutiny than past presidents because she will be the first female president. But her advisers have indicated she won't be turning to Bill Clinton, at least officially, for guidance.

Speaking with The New York Times, Hillary's aides said he will not become a regular at cabinet meetings. Plus, people might give him credit for her work if he's a central figure in her office, given the press and the public's tendency to attribute a woman's success to her husband.

Hints of Bill's transition from spotlight to sideline have become apparent in this election compared to Hillary's run in 2008. During her first campaign, Bill's role sometimes stole the attention away from Hillary too much — and not always for the best reasons. For example, he would make his former job a frequent topic and he once made headlines for accusing Obama of stirring the pot on racial issues. While Bill is still campaigning for his wife in this election, his job has been to humanize her instead of eclipse her with his accomplishments. During his DNC speech this year, Bill spoke about how they met, their marriage, and Hillary as a person. His shifting position in Hillary's campaign could suggest what his position will be in her White House: present but not overshadowing.

But the caveat with sidelining Bill fully, as the Times also points out, is that he's prone to predicaments when he has nothing to do. Most of the scandals in Bill's career have occurred when he wasn't busy: his affair with Monica Lewinsky transpired when there was a government shutdown and he was pictured galavanting around the globe with "playboys" just after he left office. Another reason Hillary won't fully shun Bill from her office is his immense popularity internationally and within the Democratic Party. Presidents have often turned to past presidents for advice and their relationship will likely be no different — she just might not rely on him too much.

Hillary has also indicated that if she wins, Bill will have a defined task or dilemma to solve while she is president. Specifically, Hillary said that Bill would be "in charge of revitalizing the economy, because, you know, he knows how to do it" during a campaign rally in Kentucky. An aide also revealed to the Times that Bill was "spend[ing] an extra hour every day reading about world economics partly in anticipation" of being Hillary's counsel. She could also send Bill to negotiate with international leaders and issues since he has done that for other presidents in North Korea and Haiti.

Aides to both Bill and Hillary have joked that keeping him out of the Oval Office will be a task, so he will likely play the role of confidante and spearhead an initiative even if he doesn't have a formal title in the White House. One thing is certain though: Bill won't have time to watch all six Police Academy movies in one day with Chelsea like he once did.